Residents in high flood risk areas to receive flood preparedness info. at their doorstepsMonday, April 08, 2013

Colorado Springs, Colo. – Beginning April 8, the City of Colorado Springs Office of Emergency Management, in partnership with AspenPointe, will be canvassing neighborhoods in the city that are most at risk for potential flooding after the Waldo Canyon Fire with a flood preparedness packet. The packets, which include a flood preparedness brochure and customizable refrigerator magnet, will be delivered to residents’ front doors as part of the City’s role in a collaborative public awareness campaign, “Emergency Preparedness Starts with You!” that launches today with a flood emphasis this week, April 8-13th.

“There are certain areas of the city that we are very concerned about if we have a flooding event,” says Bret Waters, Director of Emergency Management. “We want to provide those residents with the information they need to create a plan based on their individual situation. We do encourage people whether they received the packets or not, to find their residences on the flood map to determine their personal risk for flooding.”

Students from Manitou Springs Middle School will also be delivering the preparedness packets Thursday to residents in Pleasant Valley as part of their “Day of Service” community service project.

The “Emergency Preparedness Starts with You” public awareness campaign offers residents the tools and resources to best respond to incidents such as flood, wildfire, storms and acts of terror. The campaign empowers area resident to know their personal risk for potential disasters, to make a plan, and to communicate it to their family so they can make the best decisions during an emergency.

Media are encouraged to inform the public about the door-to-door campaign to mitigate any safety concerns. Distribution teams will be clearly identified by blue shirts with “AspenPointe” logos, with the exception of Manitou Springs Middle School students delivering materials Thursday afternoon. Media may arrange to cover the door-to-door campaign through phone interviews or covering the distribution teams on location. Contact Kim Melchor, at 719-385-5248 to arrange an interview.